


Two Princes

by AmberDread



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Historical Fantasy, Kylo Ren & Ben Solo are Twins, Prince Ben Solo, Prince Kylo Ren, Princess Rey (Star Wars), Queen Leia, Slow Burn, Solo Twins, Tags Are Hard, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:00:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21850042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberDread/pseuds/AmberDread
Summary: Leia, Queen of Alderaan and Naboo, decides that it is time for her twin sons to marry. Neither Ben nor Kylo are happy about it, but they cannot resist anymore.After travelling to various lands and cities to meet prospective brides, and neither of them finding a Lady or Princess they like enough, they arrive in Niima...ON HIATUS
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 66
Kudos: 226





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching Disenchantment one day and Bean, Luci and Elfo wandering drunk and causing problems just made me think of Rey, Finn and Poe. I don't know why, but this sprouted out of that idea. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Tags may be updated and ratings may change. Maybe.

It was early evening but the heat was still stifling as Ben and Kylo rode into Niima, the capital of Jakku. They had ridden ahead of their parents retinue, fed up with the slow pace and being under the relentlessly harsh and empty sky.

Despite bearing no markings of their rank, they were still stared at. The people in Niima tended to have tanned or dark skin and be on the small side compared to the pale skin and broad build of the twins.

After riding a little way, they found a tavern that looked promising. While it was clearly not the sort of place princes would usually frequent, it wasn’t a complete sink either.

As they ducked through the low doorway (everyone here really was short), a wall of noise and warmth hit them along with a mixture of scents, the strongest being incense and unidentified meat roasting.

It was a large space, crammed with tables and chairs in no particular arrangement, and thankfully it was so busy that not many people noted their entrance.

As they sat in a corner, sampling their ale which was apparently made with rice, Ben finally allowed himself a sigh of relief.

They had been travelling, _slowly_ , for two long weeks and he was glad it was over for a few days. He was less happy about the reason for being in Niima though. Neither he nor Kylo were pleased when their mother, the Queen of Alderaan and Naboo, informed them it was time they married.

They had put it off before, but this time their father had agreed with her, as had their grandmother.

Jakku wasn’t their first stop, they had been to various other lands since their mother’s decree at the beginning of the year. 

However, both of them were yet to settle on a suitable bride.

Jakku’s King Iridian had nine children by five wives, seven of them female and none of them married.

Part of Ben felt like they were walking into a lion's den, he wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow when they’d be introduced.

Kylo poked him in the arm, “Quite being miserable and drink, tonight at least, we are free.”

Ben snorted softly, “We are never free,” still, he tipped his cup back and nodded for more.

The rice _beer_ , as they called ale here, turned out to be quite pleasing, somehow it was kept cool and the pottery mugs it was served in sweated with condensation as they sat on the rickety wooden tables in the dimly lit room.

They drank mostly in silence, just soaking up the ambiance of somewhere new, somewhere different, somewhere where no one recognised them.

As they were chewing on skewers of whatever meat was roasting on the spit in the fireplace, licking gravy off their fingers and sopping the rest up with bread, there came an outraged yell over the general hubbub.

There had already been a few scuffles, quickly suppressed by the large strongarm employed to keep things from going too far, but the man wasn’t anywhere in sight as yet.

Leaning around to get a better view Ben saw a youth holding a bloody knife squaring off with a rough looking man who was clutching his arm and glaring menacingly at them.

“Touch me again and you lose your kriffing hand!” the youth snarled.

The man spat on the floor and took a step forward, pointing an accusing finger, “If you don’t want touching you wouldn’t be dressed like that!” 

Ben frowned, trying to work out what was wrong with what the boy was wearing, his eyes widened as the boy looked to the side and he realised _she_ wasn’t a boy at all.

“Well that’s new,” Kylo said, lopsided smile reaching his eyes.

“She can wear what she wants,” two men had come up to stand by her, it was the darker one who spoke, “Now, maybe it’s time you left.” 

The rough man was backed up by four others though. Ben could see Kylo calculating the odds and considering jumping in - his brother could be rather hot headed.

The wounded man made a rush towards the girl, the others following and in one of the most brilliant moves he had seen for some time, she whipped her body around and used the momentum to kick the man in the side of his head. 

He went flying, crashing to the floor and down for the count, but his friends didn’t stop coming. The girl’s two allies had moved to stand in front of her now, oddly determined to keep her out of it despite how capable she seemed.

The strongarm finally appeared, wielding a cudgel which he liberally used on anyone who ignored his orders to stop. 

Ben and Kylo watched with interest as the assailants were thrown out and the girl and her two friends received a stern lecture before being allowed to stay. It sounded as though this was not the first time they had been in trouble. 

The atmosphere returned to what amounted for calm in such a chaotic place and Ben finished his drink.

“Another?” he asked as he stood up.

Kylo nodded, and Ben weaved his way to the bar and along to where the girl and her friends were leaning.

Girl was perhaps a little under the mark he realised, young woman would be more appropriate. Slender, with finely boned features, clear tanned skin graced by a scattering of freckles and perfect pink lips.

While she was definitely in men’s clothing, the material was good quality and the cut was as well.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to stare?” Pretty hazel eyes glared up at him. 

Somewhere behind him, he was certain he could hear Kylo snigger.

“If she did, I don’t remember it,” he answered, probably too truthfully. He hurried on, “I meant no offense, just, ah, wanted to congratulate you on the way you put that guy down, it was impressive.”

If anything, this seemed to make her more angry, “I bet you wouldn’t be saying that if I’d been a kriffing man, would you?”

Ben wasn’t used to women who didn’t simper and smile and try to make him notice them. He shrugged uncomfortably, “I probably would, if they were as small as you.”

That had evidently been the wrong thing to say. Choked off laughter came from her two friends.

She looked him up and down with narrowed eyes, “Size doesn’t matter. If you want to take this outside, I’ll prove it to you.”

There was a groan and a hand came to rest on her arm, “Rey, no. Not again.”

She, _Rey,_ shook the hand off irritably but before she could answer, Ben felt Kylo come up behind him and rest his chin on Ben’s shoulder.

“Sorry if my brother’s bothering you, pretty lady, he doesn’t get out much.” 

If Kylo had hoped to diffuse the situation, he was in for a surprise. 

“I am _not_ a kriffing lady!” Rey curled her lip and scowled at them both.

There was the loud sound of someone deliberately clearing their throat and they turned to see the barkeep watching them. The man raised an eyebrow and said mildly, “Rey, if you don’t calm down, I am cutting you off. No more starting fights.”

There came an outraged sound, quickly stifled as one of Rey’s companions clapped a hand over her mouth, “It’s alright, Korso, she’ll behave.”

The barkeep nodded and focused on Ben and Kylo, “Perhaps you’d like to go back to your table and I’ll have someone bring you over your beer.”

Ben felt slightly disappointed but nodded all the same and followed Kylo back to their corner.

“Well, she seemed nice,” Kylo said dryly as they sat down. 

Rolling his eyes, Ben chuckled, “I bet Mother would like her.”

Kylo leaned back in his chair against the wall, amusement sparking in his dark eyes, “She would. Shame she isn’t a lady.”

“I don’t think you’d survive the wedding night with that one,” Ben replied, “In fact, she’d probably kill you before you even got to the altar.”

They enjoyed the rest of their evening, quietly drinking, observing everything. It was a good way to get the feel of a place, the get to know a King through the eyes of his people.

When they had had enough and departed to find a more reputable place to stay the night, they left Rey and her friends still at the bar. She was more relaxed now, limbs loose as she laughed with her friends, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling.

If one of the princesses they met tomorrow looked anything like her, Ben thought he may actually be tempted.

Despite the alcohol they’d put away last night, Ben and Kylo suffered no ill effects. Their leisurely breakfast was substantial, taken in a market square beneath colourful canopies that were set up to shield from the already cruel sun. 

They were enjoying cups of delightfully bitter kaf when they heard the sound of a royal herald in the distance. 

Kylo sighed dramatically, “Ready to do your duty again?” he asked Ben before necking his remaining kaf.

Finishing his own drink, Ben nodded and stood up, “As I’ll ever be… I suppose to some people we appear to be ungrateful.”

“If they had to live with Mother for a week they’d change their mind,” Kylo muttered darkly as they made their way to where their horses were corralled, “Three days if you added in Father.”

They joined up with the retinue just before they entered the palace grounds, their uncle waving them through as the Niiman guards attempted to stop them

“Your father’s going to be so disappointed, he bet me a barrel of Tevraki whiskey at least one of you would have a black eye,” Luke said, looking slightly smug. 

Kylo glared at him, “We’re not idiots.”

Luke smirked, “Of course not,” he didn’t sound like he believed it.

Their uncle was insufferable, and Kylo deeply resented him. Luke had refused the Naboo throne, and Leia had decreed that after she died, Kylo would have the Naboo crown, as Ben would have the Alderaan one.

Being the eldest, Ben had always expected to rule, whereas Kylo had enjoyed being in the shadows, an easy life.

That had been shattered by Luke and Ben was fairly sure Kylo would never forgive their uncle and now the need for an arranged marriage only made Kylo angrier.

The palace at Niima was large, but not very remarkable. It sat on the top of a hill with the rest of the city below it and an almost sheer cliff behind it. The palace itself was a mishmash of sand coloured stone buildings that had obviously been added to over the years, many times, spreading until it was pressed right up against the cliff.

There was very little decoration, but everywhere you looked there were colourful bushes and flowers and large green succulents with sharp looking spines. It was a wonder, seeing such abundant life in so harsh an environment.

King Iridian met them with his eldest son and heir. He was a short man, brown skinned and dark eyed, his hair was white yet he still held himself straight backed, dressed in orange, purple and gold silk robes. It seemed that Niimans lived for colour, in contrast to their surroundings.

Han helped Leia down from her palanquin and Ben and Kylo went to join them.

Iridian smiled as he reached out to kiss Leia’s hand, “Queen Leia, it has been too long since last we met,” he turned to greet Han, who was doing his best not to glare, “Prince Han, a pleasure as always.”

Leia smiled back at him but Ben could see her briefly squeeze his father's hand in warning, “King Iridian, it is a pleasure to see you again, may I present my sons, Benjamin and Kyloren.” she gestured absently to Ben and Kylo and as usual, she got them the wrong way round.

Not bothering to contradict her, they greeted Iridian and were in turn introduced to his son, Nakaar, who like him was short and dark, though unlike the king, his eyes were unfriendly.

“You must be fatigued after your long journey, please, go and relax and wash away the dust and join us for the midday meal,” Iridian smiled widely at Ben and Kylo, “And you can meet the rest of my children once you are rested.” 

Inside, the palace was a little more grand, cool because of the thick walls and marble floors, there were delicate porcelain ornaments, elegant marble statues, vivid silk wall hangings and rugs made in a riot of colours and textures.

The suite of rooms Ben and Kylo had been given consisted of two bedrooms with an adjoining sitting room, a large balcony that opened on both bedrooms, and a steam room.

The view from their windows seemed endless, but even up this high most of what you could see was just empty sand and sky.

The steam room was a queer way to get clean. The steam came from burning rocks that you poured water over, the hot moisture filling the air of the small enclosed room as you sweated and cleaned your skin with a scraper called a strigil.

It wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience but it did feel good to be clean again. 

Sand got everywhere. 

Everywhere.

And the cold water they washed off with after the steam room was a welcome relief, cooling their heated skin.

When they were dried, they dressed in the trappings of their rank once more. Ben in trousers and shirt of grey with an over tunic of blue with silver embroidery and Kylo in similar outfit but in black and grey with red accents.

“If I do end up marrying one of them, they can visit home on their own,” Kylo grumbled as he pulled his boots on and flipped his damp hair out of his eyes.

“At least Valin packed us lighter clothes, we’d be truly kriffed otherwise.”

Currently it was winter in Alderaan and although they’d known that Jakku was a desert kingdom, it hadn’t completely registered.

“Aren’t you going to arranged your hair?” Leia asked critically as she swept into their sitting room without so much as a warning knock.

They both glared at her, but despite their size difference her regal bearing never faltered.

“No,” Kylo told her shortly, “It’s fine as it is.”

Ben nodded agreement, currently enjoying the cool strands tickling his neck.

Leia sighed as if they were being particularly difficult, as if they weren’t adults that could decide what to do with their own damn hair.

“I hope you will both behave while you are here, Kylo” she fixed Ben’s twin with a steely glare, “Try not to look disgusted over everything, and Ben,” she frowned at him, “You need to give these young ladies a chance before you dismiss them, what happened in Bespin was embarrassing.”

Ben exchanged a look with Kylo, secretly agreeing she was a nightmare to live with.

“Now, it is time for lunch, don’t forget to kiss their hands when they greet you Ben, and I want neither of you to actively confuse them over which of you is which.”

Leia had banned them from wearing the same clothes a few years ago when she realised they were trading off for days away from their duties, now it was harder for people to mistake whom they were, but occasionally, somewhere new, they were able to play around a bit.

As they left their room, they found their father and Luke were lurking in the corridor outside their rooms, having a muttered argument, probably about whiskey. 

They were led to a spacious room with high ceilings, cooled by large windows that were angled away from the sun. 

Iridian was already there, and this time he was accompanied by his daughters and youngest son, as well as Nakaar. 

Their features varied more than Ben had been expecting, two of the daughters were honey blonde and blue eyed, one was dark blonde and the young prince’s hair was a sandy brown, the rest were dark, though.

Iridian smiled when they entered, a wave of his hand had his daughters lining up, as if this had been rehearsed. 

That was when Ben realised there were only six young women.

“I trust you feel refreshed and ready for some lunch,-” Iridian started then frowned as there was the sound of running footsteps and the squeak of someones leather shoes sliding on the marble floor.

The footsteps made it to the doorway and everyone turned to see a girl, dressed in a simple green silk dress, skid to an unladylike halt making her skirts rustle around her before she hurriedly made her way over to stand at the end of the line, bobbing a quick curtsey to her father before stopping.

Iridian sighed, but the exasperated look on his face looked more fond than annoyed, “That, Queen Leia, is my youngest,” he winked and smiled at Leia, “and most troublesome daughter, Aureya.” 

Ben stared. He couldn’t help it, because unless she had a doppelgänger, that was the girl they’d met in the tavern last night. The one who had stabbed a man before knocking him out.

_What in the hells was going on?_

His father’s elbow dug in his ribs and he remembered where they were and tried to shut his mouth and start thinking about the matter at hand.

Each princess was introduced properly, starting with the eldest Therava, after her came Sarkaya, Yoladan, Tiiona, Rieva and Kandri, all of whom behaved like cooing doves, blushing and smiling under their fluttering eyelashes.

Still, he did his duty and kissed each of their hands, trying not to breathe too deeply as they all seemed to think drowning themselves in perfume would make them more appealing.

Then came Aureya, she was dressed differently to the others, he noted, while her dress was silk, it was simple and without adornment, her hair was loose, pulled over one shoulder and looked suspiciously as if it were still drying. When he lifted her hand to kiss it, all he could smell was the scent of clean skin and a hint of something sweet like honey.

She hadn’t been paying much attention until he looked up from kissing her hand and then he saw her eyes widen in shocked recognition.

“ _Kriff,_ ” it was said so quietly he didn’t think anyone else heard, he barely did. 

Then he had to move so Kylo could greet her too, he watched as she bit her lip, clearly waiting for the questions that no doubt burned behind their eyes.

Neither of them said anything though, for now, anyway.

Lunch was served at a low table surrounded by cushions, it wasn’t the most comfortable position to eat in but that was probably partly due to Ben and Kylo’s size - their father looked none to happy about it either.

At least their father wasn’t sitting besieged by princesses, vying against one another for his attention. Ben wasn’t even sitting with Kylo, each of them had been surrounded and the only one who didn’t make any effort to speak to them, was the one he would have been most interested in talking to.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey woke with a groan. She was definitely dying. Despite her nausea her stomach grumbled at its current emptiness and she rolled over, blinking in the bright sunlight that was the result of forgetting to close the curtains when she climbed through the window the night before.

“ _ Aureya! _ ” there came banging on her bedroom door, which she had jammed shut with a wedge of wood, “You’re late! You should have been up  _ hours _ ago! The Queen from Alderaan is due to arrive soon and you aren’t even dressed!” Rey groaned again and pulled a pillow over her head.

“If you don’t open this door this instant, I will get Stan to break it down and you won’t be getting a replacement!”

“All right!” Rey yelled then winced in regret.

Rolling herself out of bed she tottered over to her door and opened it.

Bunty stood on the other side, arms folded and frowning for all she was worth, “You need to bathe young lady,” despite her apparent ire she handed Rey a mug of kaf.

Rey sighed and took a sip gratefully, “What’s the point? No one will notice if I’m there.”

“Your father will notice,” Bunty replied sternly, “And you never know, one of the princes may take a liking to you!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, and I wouldn’t want them to anyway, I’m going to stay unmarried and free”

Bunty rolled her eyes, “What will you do when your father dies, hmm? Who will look after you?”

Rey scoffed, “Nakaar doesn’t care if I marry and he will be king, or I’ll just leave and go travelling.”

“Sure, sure you will. Now, steam room, I’ll scrape while you sit, from your eyes I can tell you were out of the palace again,” she shook her head, “I wish you wouldn’t - its not safe!”

“Its fine! I have Finn and Poe with me anyway,” Rey grumbled as she followed Bunty to the steam room and stepped inside before pulling off her loose shift and sighing as the steam prickled her skin.

Bunty muttered the entire time she helped Rey bathe, but they were empty threats, she had once promised to hold Rey’s secrets and she would never go back on her word.

The firm massaging pressure of bunty washing her hair dissolved the pounding in her head and by the time Bunty announced her done, Rey felt mostly normal again.

But she was also very, very late, as the runner from her father kept repeating as she hurriedly threw her clothes on, ignoring Bunty when she insisted the dress wasn’t formal enough and her hair needed styling. 

This would have to do.

It wasn’t an unusual sight to see Princess Aureya running around the palace, she was typically late to everything except exercises with her guards and sometimes her brothers.

Nakaar and Bryjar, her oldest and youngest siblings, were the only two she got on with, there was no love lost between she and her six sisters.

As she skidded down corridors and ducked around servants, guards and whomever else was in her way, she thought she’d made it, but as she rushed into the receiving room, she found that she was still late.  _ Kriff it all. _

Thankfully her father turned it into a joke and she kept her head down, catching her breath and trying to calm her stomach which was upset about all the sudden movement and its continued emptiness.

When her father introduced her, she dipped a perfunctory curtsy and offered her hand. The size of the foreign Prince's hand surprised her, as did the heat of it and the surprisingly soft brush of his lips on her skin. 

Finally she looked up… and she got the shock of her life.

The man before her had been at Korso’s Tavern the night before, the ridiculously tall patronising man, along with his equally tall and patronising brother.

“ _ Kriff _ .”

This was not going to end well, while her father indulged her somewhat, if he found out about her nighttime excursions… well, it didn’t bear thinking about. 

His eyes indicated he remembered her, yet  _ he said nothing, _ neither did his brother who kissed her hand after him.

Rey’s head buzzed and she wondered if she could sneak out before they were seated, and was sidling over to one of the large windows when her wrist was caught gently but firmly by Nakaar.

“You can’t fly away quite yet, little bird,” he murmured as he dragged her to an empty space to sit down.

Rey huffed, but settled on the cushions anyway, “I don’t know why I even need to be here,” she muttered back, “They won’t miss one out of seven.”

A disdainful look crossed her brothers dark features but was quickly erased, “No, I doubt they would, but I think the  _ queen _ would and it may be seen as an insult.”

Master Skywalker, the queen’s brother, sat on Nakaar’s opposite side and drew him into conversation so Rey picked at her food and silently counted down the seconds till it was over.

Bryjar was seated with her father and Queen Leia, though he looked as bored as she felt, there was no way for him to come and join her without being obvious about it.

“Ah, Princess Aureya,” her head snapped to Master Skywalker who was sitting forward so he could see her clearly, “Are you betrothed?”

Rey blinked and cut her eyes at Nakaar who shrugged slightly, “Um, no? I am not.”

His pleasant expression became a little confused, “Oh, I assumed, as you were not sitting with your sisters…?” he trailed off in an obvious question.

Rey kept herself from grimacing, just. “I am sure the Princes are quite overwhelmed as it is.”

Nakaar smiled diplomatically at the man, “My youngest sister is quite shy,” he explained.

_ Shy? _ Rey resisted rolling her eyes, if it worked she’d take it.

“Oh, well, I will make sure she gets to talk with Benjamin and Kyloren later, Ben can be a little shy himself,” he gave her an encouraging look, as if he was helping her out.

Nakaar’s lips twitched and Rey carefully clenched her hands in her lap, “You are too kind.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” still smiling, still completely oblivious, still assuming all women wanted was a man.

It was shortly after that, when the main dishes were being cleared away and shisha pipes and sweets were being set out, that Rey tried to slip away again.

This time she was intercepted by her younger brother, “Father says if you leave now you’re not allowed out to ride for a week.”

Rey glared at Bryjar, who flipped his sandy brown hair out of his eyes and shrugged, “Don’t shoot the messenger, he said the same to me too.”

“If we both leave, we can do something else together instead of riding?”

“He’d think of something else, you know he would,” he grinned, “Even if we are his favourites.”

“Shh!” Rey hissed, “You can’t say things like that.”

Bryjar looked entirely unrepentant, “It’s true, well if you add in Nakaar, then it is. That’s why the harpies hate you.”

“And you shouldn’t say things like that either, leastways, not where they may hear you. Last time you called them that Therava blew pepper in your eyes.”

“And you gave her a black one,” Bryjar countered, “It was totally worth the pain to see that.”

With a long suffering sigh, Rey started back towards the table, “Sit with me at least?”

Grinning, her youngest brother nodded, “Father never said I had to return to him.”

They passed the rest of the time playing stones and sniggering quietly into their hands when one of princes couldn’t handle smoking and kept coughing.

**~~ ♥ ~~**

“So did any of the princesses catch your eye?” Leia asked as they joined her in her sitting room after lunch was over.

“Let me see,” Kylo raised six fingers, “No,” he dropped one down, “No,” he dropped another, then, “No, no, no and no.”

“That’s only six,” Han remarked as he settled on a low seat and undid the top of his green tunic.

Ben shrugged, “We didn’t get a chance to speak to Princess Aureya.”

Luke perked up, “I did, at first I assumed she was already betrothed but it appears she is just very shy. A sweet girl, you should try and talk to her, Ben.”

Kylo smirked at Ben and shook his head, “Are you sure the word  _ shy _ is the one you mean, Luke?” (He never used Luke’s honorific, though if Luke noticed, he didn’t care.)

Ben covered a disbelieving smirk of his own, the girl they’d met at the tavern was definitely  _ not  _ shy. 

“Oh, yes, well she certainly seemed to be,” Luke answered blithely.

Leia pursed her lips, “And what was wrong with the princesses you did talk to?”

“There were too many of them,” Kylo answered immediately, “They were basically the same person, just with different packaging, vapid, vain, and very high pitched.”

Han let out an amused chuckle, but stifled it when Leia glared at him.

“He’s not wrong,” Ben added, “They were quite, err, single minded in their attempts to get our attention and were really rather nasty to each other at the same time.”

“I imagine most of them like the idea of leaving this hellish wasteland, can’t blame them for trying,” Han commented.

Leia shook her head, “Perhaps, but if they’re nasty to each other they could be nasty to servants or subjects. Still, first impressions aren’t always everything. We are here for a week, make the most of it, and there will be a dance too.”

“Aureya and her brothers are going riding tomorrow,” Luke offered, “Perhaps you could join them?”

“They ride out for  _ pleasure _ in this heat?” Kylo asked incredulously.

Luke shrugged, “They’re probably used to it.”

Ben sighed, “Well, I’ll go,” he didn’t say that he wanted to speak to Aureya or should he call her Rey? But it was probably obvious.

“Yeah, me too,” Kylo added, for the same reason.

“Excellent, I think I will join you,” Luke smiled, oblivious to his nephew’s twin glares, “I’ve always wanted to ride a fathier.

**~~ ♥ ~~**

As soon as Rey could get away, she tracked down Finn and Poe. She found them in the guard common room and gestured for them to join her outside. 

“What’s up, Rey?” Finn asked win a grin.

Poe followed straight after with, “You married yet?” and a matching grin.

Scowling, Rey shook her head, “We have a BIG problem,” she took a breath and glanced around to make sure no one could hear her, “You remember those outlander twins in Korso’s Tavern last night?” 

They frowned, “The stupidly tall, pale ones?” Poe asked.

“Yes. Well,  _ those _ are the kriffing princes!” 

Finn chuckled, “Sure they are, pull the other one, Rey, maybe with a better joke.”

Letting out a furious “Urgh!” Rey grabbed him by the lapels, “I am not kidding around! They recognised me, I’m sure of it!” when they still looked skeptical, she tried another tack, “Go and look at them, if you don’t believe me or ask one of the palace guards, they could give you a description!”

Frowning, Poe called over a palace guard who was passing through the courtyard. He confirmed the descriptions, looking slightly confused while he did and even more so when he was then dismissed.

“Well, kriff,” Poe finally said.

“What in the hells were two  _ Princes _ doing hanging out at Korso’s?” Finn asked, still sounding incredulous.

“Well,” Poe started, sounding irritatingly reasonable, “Maybe the same thing the Princess was doing?”

“That is besides the point! They’re bound to tell father, or worse, let it slip to one of the harpies!”

“That would be bad for all of us,” Finn said slowly, “If your father finds out we help you get out, we’ll be reposted to some border hut and never be seen again.”

“That’s if he doesn’t kill us,” Poe added, “Or Nakaar may kill us if the King doesn’t.”

Only Bunty knew of their night time escapades, Bryjar probably wouldn’t tell on her but he may let something slip, - if you really wanted something kept secret you just didn’t tell people. And Nakaar would definitely protest if he ever found out.

“Did you ask them not to tell anyone?” Finn asked hopefully.

Rey shook her head, “Couldn’t get near them, they were mobbed by the harpies.

“Well, it’ll look weird if one of us tries to talk to them, but we need to do something,” Poe said, distractedly rubbing his stubbly chin.

Rey sighed, “I’ll work something out,” she gave them a weak grin, “But if it goes sideways, we may be better just running away.”

“You know they’d just find you again, Rey, the last time you didn’t even make it a day out before Nakaar caught you.”

Shrugging, Rey replied, “That was a few years ago now and they’ve stopped watching so close. Plus, if you were with me, you could help and I thought this time, I let  _ all  _ the other fathiers loose, then no one could follow easily.”

“Wouldn’t work,” Poe shook his head, “There are other corrals of fathiers all over the city and if you did let loose the palace ones, it would be like a big sign saying  _ Aureya’s run away again _ .”

“Okay, so you think of ways to get out without being noticed and I’ll try and talk to the princes and try to convince them to keep quiet.”

Finn nodded, “Good luck, and let’s maybe not go out tonight, seems like it’d be tempting fate.”

It was a good point, nodding moodily, Rey took her leave.

Before the evening meal, Bunty forced Rey to dress ‘properly’ which included having her hair piled on top of her head and wearing a dress that was entirely too low cut.

“It’s just dinner!” Rey growled as Bunty fussed over how the dress fitted, “And I am  _ not  _ wearing my circlet.”

The dress in question was a soft grey blue with a subtle shimmer to it, it’s scoop neck was loose on her shoulders and while the front was plain the back was a lattice, showing little hints of skin all the way down to her lower back.

“Fine, no circlet, but you will absolutely wear it for the dance, no arguments!” Bunty stepped away from Rey and nodded, “You’ll do, I suppose. Though if your father complains I will truss you up like a chicken!”

Rey glared, but it didn’t last long, “You know the others don’t like it when I try to look nice,” she muttered quietly.

Bunty sighed and patted her shoulder, “I know, poppet, but since you’ve had your own room, things have been better and you know I keep the door locked when you’re out.”

Rey’s sisters never let her forget that her mother had been of low birth, it disgusted them and they went out of their way to make Rey’s life as miserable as possible. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if Rey didn’t fight back, but it wasn’t in her nature to be passive. She could only restrain herself for so long before she snapped and bit back, yet it was always her who got in trouble for it. The last time had been her most successful and most infamous, she had managed to procure a honey badger and after feeding it with wine soaked dates, she had planted it in the wing of the palace where all her sisters rooms were, then sat back and watched the chaos.

It had been beautiful and utterly worth her father’s fury, she hadn’t even tried to deny it, it was perhaps and rather sadly, one of her proudest ever moments.

“Oh, stars preserve us, you’ll late!” Bunty cried, “Just one day, it would be nice if you could be on time! Off with you now, and don’t forget to try and talk to the princes! I hear they are quite handsome!” 

Her only reply was a disgusted snort as Rey disappeared out of the door.

**~~ ♥ ~~**

The evening meal was a larger and more formal affair, there were other guests, lords and ladies and higher ranking military officers.

Ben and Kylo were once again sat apart but this time, a seat was empty beside Ben. Everyone was almost seated when Aureya arrived in the grand hall and was steered by a servant to sit beside him.

Ben watched as she tried to surreptitiously protest before the servant informed her that she was ordered by the king, and with a sigh, she slipped into the chair next to him.

“Good evening, your highness,” she murmured quietly.

With her hair up and away from her face, her neck looked so delicate, swanlike. Once more, unlike her sisters, she was fairly modestly dressed, not as simply as last time, but not gaudy or overdone.

“Good evening, your highness,” he smiled slightly even though she wasn’t looking at him, “I hope you are well?”

“Oh, the  _ scavenger _ is fine, don’t worry about her, your highness, I would love to hear all about the waterfalls in Naboo.” 

He frowned as he noticed Aureya’s hands clench in her lap briefly, he turned to look at her sister, whose name he had already forgotten, “Scavenger?”

The dark haired princess gave a tinkling laugh she probably thought was attractive, “Oh, that's just our pet name for her, because her mother was just a  _ scavenger _ , but tell me, are there really waterfalls higher than a house? Why does the water not float away?”

If he had to listen to this all evening, he was going to strangle someone.

The princess on the other side of Rey, hissed quietly, “Swap seats with me. He’s not interested in _ you _ , scavenger.” 

Ben knew he wasn’t meant to hear, but he couldn’t think how to blonde woman thought he wouldn’t be able to.

With as sultry a smile as he could, and loudly enough for both of the women to hear, he leaned a little closer and said, “You really do look beautiful, Princess Aureya, I’m glad I am finally able to talk with you.”

A deep blush spread up her neck and coloured her cheeks as she finally turned to look at him, her pretty hazel eyes wide and… angry?

“Thank you, your highness, you are too kind. I, like Tiiona, would be pleased to hear about waterfalls.” 

On cue, Tiiona started gushing about all things watery, but Ben paid more attention to the exchange with Aureya and the other princess.

“Father said I have to sit here, I tried not to, Therava, by all means take it up with him.”

“You always get your way, you little brat,” Therava hissed, “You better not ruin this for us, stay out of my way and away from the Princes, or I swear you’ll regret it.”

Ben considered telling Therava she had absolutely no chance with either he or Kylo, but after Rey’s strange reaction to his attempt to help, he decided he’d leave it.

Kylo looked as happy as he felt, even after Leia twitched her hands at them with the secret sign to  _ ‘be nice and behave’ _ .

Rey deflected any attempt at conversing with her alone, always harping back to one of her sisters. She barely even looked at him, which had the irritating result of him becoming increasingly interested in her.

Remembering that they would be riding together tomorrow and being pretty sure her sisters would not be joining them, he gave up trying and instead attempted to answer her sisters questions and not roll his eyes and bang his head on the table.

By the end of the meal, Kylo’s cheek was twitching and his face, while not looking angry, was suspiciously blank.

When they moved to a sitting room for smoking and after dinner drinks, Rey managed to sidestep his offered arm and her hissy sister took it with a smug smile.

He watched as Rey joined her brothers, Nakaar quickly taking her arm and as she looked away, the Prince caught Ben’s eye and smirked slightly.

Apparently none of her siblings wanted Rey to talk to he and Kylo. 

Which made Ben even more determined to do so.

**~~ ♥ ~~**

“I’m going to need another honey badger,” Rey muttered as soon as she was with her brothers, “Therava is on the warpath and father paved the way.”

“Want me to talk to him?” Nakaar offered, with a smile.

Rey squeezed his arm, “Yes, _ please _ , he knows I’m not…  _ marriage _ material, I don’t know why he’s bothering.”

Bryjar rolled his eyes, “You’re not  _ princess _ material, you should have been born a boy.”

Shaking her head, Rey smiled, “No, I should have been born a wild fathier or somesuch, being human is overrated.”

Nakaar took a seat in the evening room and gestured to a servant to bring over a shisha pipe, “Being human has its perks, little ones,” he leaned closer and lowered his voice, “Hashish?”

With wide eyes, Bryjar emphatically nodded his head, “Yes!” he looked at Rey, “You need to relax.”

Frowning, Rey shook her head, “Not with so many people about, I’ll say something wrong and get crucified for it.” 

“That is a good point,” Bryjar nodded, deflating a little, “Maybe not while the outlanders are here.”

Nakaar shrugged, “Your loss,” he drew off the pipe and sighed with a smile, blowing the smoke towards the ceiling which was made of mosaic tiles and slivers of mirror, twinkling as they caught the lamplight. 

They spent the rest of the evening talking, Nakaar occasionally would go and chat with other people but he always came back. 

Their father shot she and Bryjar disapproving looks periodically, but he hadn’t given any express rules for after dinner, so she and her youngest brother played stones or argued about where to ride out to the next day.

Their sisters didn’t come anywhere near them and although the outlander princes glanced their way a few times, neither did they. There were too many people around for her to speak to them privately and without her sisters interrupting, so Rey came up with a plan B.


	3. Chapter 3

Kylo was fairly certain, any minute now, he was going to tell whatever-her-name-was, to stop talking and never open her mouth again. But if he did that, then another one would simply take her place  _ and _ his mother would be furious  _ and _ he would be insulting King Iridian to boot.

He wasn’t particularly chatty at the best of times, and generally only conversed properly when he knew (and liked) the person or people well enough.

He was not a man made for a crown, at least, not the sort of crown his mother wore… and that was one of the things that interested him in Princess Aureya, she too, didn’t look like her status sat well with her.

That and contrasting with her sister’s overwhelming desire to crowd him, made Aureya look more and more appealing… and she had already looked appealing to begin with.

However, she appeared totally disinterested in he and Ben, life was nothing if not ironic.

He was exhausted by the time it was acceptable to retire to their rooms, he had to almost brush aside the current limpet princess to be able to leave.

“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” he muttered to Ben as a servant led them back to their rooms, (the palace was a maze).

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Ben nodded, “I know, we have five more days of this. I’m considering just declaring war so we can leave.”

“Keep your voices down,” Han said gruffly from behind them, “Or we’ll have one, and we need to be on the other side of the border before doing that.”

Kylo looked back as his father almost hopefully, but Han just rolled his eyes and muttered, “Pair of idiots,” under his breath.

Luckily their mother hadn’t heard their exchange and they didn’t talk again till they were safely in behind doors and Berch had done a sweep of their rooms before declaring it safe.  _ As if an assassin could even navigate this hell hole. _

“Part of me wonders if we just should have let mother pick our brides,” Ben said morosely as he collapsed onto one of the ridiculously low couches, “It would have at least meant we weren't paraded around like cattle at a market.”

“If I thought she would actually pick someone compatible, I would have let her,” Kylo answered as he stretched his arms and back in an attempt to get rid of the tension in his muscles. “But you know she would have just gone with the most advantageous match, rather than someone she thought we’d like.”

Ben grunted his agreement as he pulled off his tunic and loosened the ties of his shirt, before groaning, “Why is it still so hot?” 

With a shake of his head, Kylo answered, “Guess it’s a desert thing,” before just pulling his tunic and shirt off, leaving him in just his trousers.

“Yes, but-” Ben cut off when Kylo motioned him to quiet.

Although Berch had done a thorough sweep, Kylo could hear something, or someone, out on the balcony. He signalled for Ben to go the other way as he silently stalked over to the balcony door, which was open in an attempt to let some cooler air into the room.

There were definitely sounds of climbing, then two feet appeared reaching for a foot hold that wasn’t there... the struggling sounds were definitely feminime.

Ben drew nearer, signing that he had checked elsewhere and all was clear. Kylo had a suspicion over whom the legs belonged to, so he stepped as close as possible, reached up and grabbed her hips.

There was a squeak of surprise, followed by a lot of cursing as Aureya let go and he let her slide down his body until they were nose to nose.

Her eyes were wide in the dim light, her breath coming in little pants that tickled his face, she was a warm and welcome weight in simple trousers and tunic, which had ridden up as she had slid against his body and was now bunched at her chest.

“Nice of you to drop in,” he smirked and watched as her eyes narrowed.

“Put me down!”

Her indignance only made him smile more, “Why?”

“Because!” she floundered slightly, “Because it isn’t proper!”

He chuckled, “And climbing over the roof into our room is?”

She made a vexed sound, “It was the only way I could actually talk to you, blockhead!”

“You want to talk to us?” Ben asked with interest.

“Yes! Stop manhandling me!”

With a sigh of resignation, Kylo let her drop to her feet, then stepped away slightly as she hurriedly straightened her tunic, but not before he’d got a glimpse of a taut stomach and the edge of a breast band that made his fingers twitch.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Ben prodded, obviously trying to sound less interested than he was.

“Oh,” her hands went to fiddle with a loose thread of her tunic and her eyes darted away from theirs, “I wanted to ask you not to tell my father, or anyone else, how…” she chewed her lip, “How we met.”

Kylo felt himself deflate a little, “We kind of figured that out already.”

“You came all the way here, in the dark, to ask us something we were already doing?” Ben asked skeptically.

She huffed, “Well, yes. I didn’t know if you were going to mention it later or something.”

“You know, when you met us the other night, you told us you weren’t a lady,” Kylo pointed out.

“Well, I’m not am I? I’m a kriffing princess!” she replied bitterly.

Ben chuckled, but cut off when she glared at him, “It’s alright for you, you can rule and do what you want, marry whomever you choose!”

“Neither of us want to get married,” Kylo told her, with a glare of his own.

“Especially to a shrew like Therava,” Ben added.

“Oh,” she seemed genuinely surprised, “You mean you don’t like my sisters?”

Kylo let out a short and mirthless chuckle while Ben shook his head, “Absolutely not.”

Aureya was even pretty when she frowned, Kylo noticed.

“Why not?” she asked curiously, “They’re all pretty and accomplished.”

“And desperate,” Kylo dead panned.

He was rewarded by a startled giggle.

“They are going to be horribly disappointed then,” she didn’t sound unduly unhappy about that.

“So,” Ben said as nonchalantly as he could, “What about you? Do you not want to get married?”

Her snort was inelegant, “No. And no one would want to anyway, I’m not very good at being a princess,” she looked behind her into the night, “I should go,” she looked back at them almost shyly, “Would one of you, err, mind give me a boost? It turned out to be higher than I thought.”

Despite the dim light Kylo could definitely see a blush colouring her cheeks.

“Before you go, answer one question,” Ben asked suddenly, “Why were you angry when I said you looked beautiful at dinner?”

Her blush deepened and she went back to nervously pulling at her tunic, “You were winding my sisters up, I try to keep out of their way and if they think I’m encroaching on their territory they get nasty.”

Kylo exchanged a look with Ben, “Their  _ territory _ ?” he couldn’t keep the disgust out of his voice, “I’d rather marry a rathtar than one of your sisters.”

She cocked her head and looked at him, “What’s a rathtar?”

Ben smiled, “Huge, hideous, rabid tentacle monsters of death.” 

Kylo caught his breath as Rey suddenly grinned, and she went from pretty to absolutely stunning, “Can you buy them?”

“Some have tried,” Ben answered, “None have succeeded.

“Shame,” Rey sighed, “That would have outdone the honey badger,” she shook her head, “I really should go, and, um, thanks for not telling anyone.”

“Why do you do it?” Kylo pressed, wanting to keep her with them longer, “Go out into the city I mean? It must be dangerous, though I suppose what we saw means you aren’t as vulnerable as people would think.”

Rey shrugged, “Like I said, I’m not good at being a princess, and I always have my body guards with me,” She wandered fully onto the balcony and looked along it, “There should be good, if you don’t mind giving me a boost.”

Ben pushed past him and Kylo supposed that was fair as he’d held her when she came down, still, he would have rather it’d been him. So he watched as Ben awkwardly picked Rey up around the waist, then lift her further so she could reach the lip of the roof. His slight concern over her falling appeared to be unfounded and he watched her disappear quickly and quietly.

They walked back inside, Ben absently running his hands through his hair before looking up at him, “I actually really like her,” he confessed nervously.

Kylo sighed and nodded, “Yeah, me too.”

Perhaps they should have realised that in the same way they shared their looks, they shared other things too, like finding the same woman attractive… this could end badly.

**~~ ♥ ~~**

Once Rey had got back to her room, she found she couldn’t sit still. Pacing up and down seemed silly, but she couldn’t go out into the city and at this time of night she and her sisters were meant to be in their rooms, so no chance of sparring with Finn or Poe.

If Nakaar’s room was closer, she would have gone there, but it was entirely possible her elder brother wouldn’t be there and Bryjar was probably asleep.

So she paced, trying hard not to think about the naked chest she’d been pressed against, or the strong arms that had wrapped around her waist, or the intense gaze of two striking men that made her stomach flutter and flip about. How hard their muscles were, how much larger they were and how, against all expectations, they didn’t ignore her.

Not that she wanted their attention, absolutely not, there was nothing she wanted less… still, it was a little nice to be seen, to be acknowledged as existing for once.

And their voices, the low, deep timbre was strangely pleasing, something about the sound made her feel warm… 

Rey suddenly realised she had no idea which one was which, she hadn’t been paying attention when they were introduced and they really were identical, aside from their different clothes, and with no point of reference the colours made nothing clearer.

But she didn’t care about that, what she cared about was that they were only here for five days, and if she avoided them like the plague, hopefully the harpies would leave her alone and things would go back to the way they were once the outlanders departed. 

Objectively, it only made sense that her elder sisters were courted before her, Therava was twenty four after all, Rey was only seventeen. She knew they were worried about not having found matches yet, especially as that seemed like their main drive in life: find a suitable husband, of noble birth and large fortune if not a crown, birth a family and live in the lap of luxury. 

Whereas Rey’s goal in life, was simple: keep a low profile and maybe one day run away to have an adventure. She’d come back, of course she would, she loved her father and her brothers, Bunty, Finn and Poe were practically family in her head too, but otherwise, the only things keeping her in the palace were the guards.

Rather than satisfying her need for adventure, Finn and Poe’s excursions into the city had only fueled her greed for independence,  _ The Call of the Wild _ , Bunty called it, when she wasn’t cursing it, at least.

Perhaps it was her mother’s blood that made her veins and limbs itch and caused her eyes to always look to the horizon.

Although her attempts at disappearing hadn’t worked as yet, she felt fairly confident she would manage to outsmart the guards and Nakaar one day. It was probably not their intent, but her trips with Finn and Poe over the last year had taught her how to blend in, how to go unseen and one of these days, she just wouldn’t be here anymore...

It was no good, if anything, pacing was making her more awake, and it was doing nothing to stop flashes of bare chests and dark eyes popping into her mind.

Perhaps reading may let her mind settle a little, distract it. She undressed and climbed into bed, dropping the muslin curtains that surrounded it so bitemes wouldn’t get in.

In the soft glow of her lamp, she barely made it halfway down a page before she fell asleep.

**~~ ♥ ~~**

They were awoken before dawn. Kylo had been anticipating a leisurely morning and wasn’t particularly happy when Valin prodded him awake. At least the serving man was armed with a mug of thick, dark kaf.

When he and Ben arrived at the stables, they found Luke already there, conversing with Nakaar. 

The other Prince gave them both a flat look, before nodding good morning and moving away to speak with a guard.

“You will need these,” Luke handed them long wraps of fabric, “To cover your head and face,” he smiled as he gestured to his own, “Just to keep the sand and sun at bay.”

Kylo grunted, it was still too early to make conversation and he was already regretting the whole idea until he caught the end of an animated discussion and turned to see Rey and her younger brother leading two giant creatures out of the stables.

“No, the east side of Fallen Teeth won’t be too bad, we’ve been all over Kelvin Ravine, there's nothing new to see!” 

Bryjar snorted, “No, we haven’t! I still want to bring down a Ripper-raptor!”

Rey made a disgusted sound, “That is never going to happen, Jar, they always keep away from us, but if we try Fallen Teeth we might see-” she cut off abruptly as she noticed the others in the courtyard and stopped.

Her fathier crowded against her, its large body shadowing her as it bent down to lip at her hair. Despite the animals size, it was surprisingly delicate, it’s movement denoting affection.

“Oh!” Bryjar had paused too but didn’t look unduly concerned, “Are you coming with us?”

Ben shrugged, “We are, if you do not mind.”

Bryjar grinned, “We probably mind but it won’t make any difference!”

Ben chuckled as Rey glared at Bryjar and whacked the back of his head, “You can’t say things like that!” 

“If you insult our  _ guests _ , perhaps you don’t deserve this privilege, Bryjar,” Nakaar scolded.

As Bryjar opened his mouth in clear protest, Luke shook his head with a smile, “Prince Nakaar, I assure you, we take no offense.”

Kylo almost rolled his eyes, it had been obvious Nakaar wasn’t making a serious threat.

Nakaar gave a small bow to Luke then looked at Bryjar, “Very well, you have earned a reprieve. For now. Perhaps we should ask our guests if they have any preference as to where to go?”

The twins looked at each other and shrugged as Luke tapped his chin in thought, but copied his nephews gesture, “I think we are happy to be guided by you.”

“Fallen Teeth it is then,” Nakaar decided, ignoring a huff of irritation from his brother. “If you go with Bael, he will help you mount.”

When Kylo turned to follow the stablemaster, he found Bryjar and Rey were somehow already mounted, despite them both being short of stature, while the fathier were twenty eight hands high at the  _ shoulder, _ at least; his favourite horse which was considered large, stood at sixteen hands. 

These animals were  _ huge _ .

Their coats were a mixture of brown and sand colours, large ears gave them a slightly silly aspect to their otherwise gentle faces, but what you really noticed were the legs, and although they looked like they ought to be awkward, they were actually quite graceful. They did smell strange though, sort of spicy and musky, not entirely pleasant but not awful either.

He felt a little irritated that he had to use the mounting block, whereas Nakaar just seemed to hop, bounce off a flank and nimbly pull himself into the saddle.

After being instructed on how to direct the animals, they started off. At first, the strange gait threw him a bit, he had been expecting it to be similar to a horse, but the rhythm was strange.

The sun was just beginning to peek above the horizon as they wound their way through the city, it appeared everyone rose early here, the streets were busy and the markets already in full swing.

Rey was riding ahead of everyone, she was dressed very strangely, light trousers with soft boots, her arms wrapped in bands of cloth and a tight tunic overlaid by loose wisps of material, cinched with a belt. 

With her face and beck already covered in a scarf, she could have been almost anyone, nothing to denote her royal blood save the easy way she rode her fathier.

“Best not to fall behind,” Bryjar commented behind him, “Or we’ll lose my sister, she’s always trying to run away.”

Kylo turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised, “Run away?”

Bryjar laughed, “Yes,” he cocked his head, “So which of the har- err, of my sisters will you marry?”

Ben started coughing.

Kylo faced forwards again, “Neither of us have any… preference at this time.”

“Oh…” Bryjar paused, then said in quite an amused voice, “You don’t like any of them, do you?”

When did teenage boys become so perceptive? Or were he and Ben really that transparent? He thought they’d been doing quite well covering it.  _ Kriff. _

“Ah, no, there is one we both would like to get to know more,” Ben responded quickly.

“Both of you?” the boy sounded intrigued, “Which one?”

Damn his curiosity, if they didn’t nip this conversation in the bud now, there was no telling what gossip would spread. Ben had told him about Rey’s interactions with her sisters last night, he didn’t want to make things worse for her, that could make it less likely she’d spend time with them…

“It would be impolitic to say right now,” Kylo told the boy, “And we’ve barely been here a day, too soon to declare real interest.”

The boy sighed dramatically, “You’re no fun… You’re older than Nakaar, yes? Have you been to war? You had problems with Dathomir and Nal Hutta a while ago, did you not?”

War was an easier topic and Kylo gladly took the bait, “Yes, there is a sort of truce now with Dathomir, so long as no one crosses the border, but Nal Hutta will always be a burr beneath our saddle…”

**~~ ♥ ~~**

After strange dreams about faceless men with bare chests, Rey was a little out of sorts and she had been looking forward to riding outside the city, relaxing and letting off some steam.

But then the outlanders had appeared, the princes and their uncle, intruding on what was meant to be her time in the wild with her brothers.

Her mood lightened a little when she saw them in the saddle, her smirk hidden behind her veil as they attempted to get comfortable, holding their reins tightly and causing their animals to huff in protest.

“Come along, Honey,” she murmured to her mount who had been hers since she had learned to ride, “Shall we let them eat out dust?” Honey chuffed, ears twitching and Rey took it for approval.

Waiting until they left the city and were a ways away from the main road, she cast a look behind her, their guards were relaxed, Bryjar was occupied by the Princes and Nakaar was deep in conversation with the uncle.

With a grin and a chirp, Rey was off, leaning low over Honey’s neck, raised slightly above the saddle as the wind of their flight did its best to pull her veil from her face and she started counting.

_ One _

_ Two _

_ Three _

_ Four _

_ Five _

_ Six _

_ Seven _

_ Eight  _

_ Nine _

Shouts sounded and laughter bubbled in her throat, it would take a bit for them to catch up with her, Honey was smaller than the males the others were riding, but she was fast despite that, lighter on her feet in the sand.

_ This _ , this is what she wanted, this free feeling that only ever came to her in stolen moments, precious and fleeting, always leaving her wanting more.

But for the moment, it was enough. 

For now.


	4. Chapter 4

One of the guards let out a curse and Ben looked ahead to see Rey suddenly much farther ahead and moving considerably faster than they were.

Bryjar laughed, “Told you!” he sang, before he too was urging his fathier onwards, chasing after Nakaar and three of the guards.

Kylo looked at him, “Do you think we’ll die if we follow?”

Ben sighed and tucked the cloth more securely about his face, “Almost definitely.”

“Perfect.” Kylo recklessly took off after them.

With another sigh and a shake of his head, Ben urged his fathier to do the same.

To his surprise, the sprinting gait of a fathier was more similar to a horses than their walking pace. But the actual speed? It was like something akin to flying, it was both exhilarating and terrifying all at once. Luckily, there was very little he had to do to direct the beast, as it was simply following the others and today the visibility was good.

As he rode, he wondered absently about buying some fathiers to take home with them, they seemed to coexist with horses well enough, if the palace stables were anything to go by, and perhaps Rey would feel more at home in Alderaan if… _oh._

He shook his head at himself, focusing back on the real world, for now, anyway.

It was a while before he saw Nakaar reach Rey and Bryjar, and they slowed down. He and Kylo caught up to hear Rey and Bryjar laughing behind their veils as Nakaar glared at both of them.

“Hey! The outlanders didn’t fall off!” 

Bryjar seemed to lose his filter when he was excited, or perhaps it was being out of the palace or just the early morning.

He watched as Rey leant precariously out of her saddle to hit her brother with her guide stick. Ben just concentrated on catching his breath as his heart beat started to return to normal.

Nakaar gave he and Kylo a measuring look, “I apologise for Bryjar, he was dropped on his head when he was an infant,” he ignored Bryjar’s indignant cry, “You both have a good seat.” 

The last was said a little grudgingly.

Ben leaned down to pat his animal on the shoulder, “They’re wonderful beasts.” 

Kylo looked at him, and Ben could see the smirk in his eyes, “Were you also thinking we should take some back with us?”

 _Of course_ , - sometimes Ben was surprised that he and Kylo hadn’t just been born in one body. “Yes, though it may be best to have them sent along once we’ve had a stable suitable for their size built?”

Nakaar chirped at his fathier and they started forwards at an easy pace, “I can introduce you to our breeder, he may also be able to recommend a handler as well.”

Ben nodded his thanks, “We’d appreciate it.”

Luke and the rest of their party caught up with them and they started discussing the idea.

To his surprise, Rey dropped back a little to ride beside him, “Don’t talk to the head breeder Engal, Aziz is the one who does all the work and knows the animals, Engal is just the money man.”

Ben smiled behind his veil, “I will remember, thank you…” he wanted to keep her talking, “Do you often ride out?”

She looked away and shrugged slightly, “Not as much as I would wish.”

He licked his lips, “Prince Bryjar mentioned you try to run away?”

“Bryjar talks too much,” she muttered.

 _Subject change_ … “So what’s at Fallen Teeth?” 

“Oh,” she twisted to look at him, and even though he could only see her hers, he was fairly sure she was smiling. “Vworkka, you don’t see them often and the side of the mountain is in shadow most of the day, I think it’ll be more likely we see one,” she shrugged, “There are loads of Ripper-raptors.”

He had no idea what a Vworkka was, she told him the little she knew of the raptors, which wasn’t much. He just enjoyed listening to her talk really, the heat and the light and the time of day easy to ignore when she was near… and he was genuinely enjoying the fathiers too. 

**~~ ♥ ~~**

Rising so horribly early had proven to actually be worth it, Kylo reflected. He had to admit there was a sort of austere beauty to the barren land through which they rode, and the view from atop his fathier went on for miles in a simple but pleasing palette of yellows and browns, juxtaposed with the harsh blue of the endless sky… and then of course, there was Rey. 

Even the sun became easier to ignore in her company, she seemed much more at ease out of the palace and she was clearly very comfortable atop her fathier. At one point, he watched with open mouth as she stood up, balancing carelessly as she peered at a distant shape in the sky, whilst ignoring Bryjar who poked her legs with his guide stick, until Nakaar made him stop.

They had turned around to head back to Niima for lunch, when Rey, who was riding beside him now, asked, “Forgive me if this is,” she paused as if searching for the right words, “Rude? But, how do people tell you and your brother apart?”

While he and Ben were close and rarely ever felt the need to compete over anything now that they were adults, he found himself eager to make sure that Rey could tell them apart, because if she couldn’t, things may get more complicated than they already were.

Kylo also noticed that she hadn’t used Ben’s name, so it was likely she didn’t know to whom she was speaking.

“It isn’t rude,” he told her, “Our mother still gets confused sometimes. If we are in formal wear, Ben wears accents of silver and blue and I wear accents of black and red. Does that help?”

He watched as her eyes flitted over him before turning to study Ben who was riding behind them with Nakaar and Luke, before turning around once more.

“It does, but, well, have you ever thought of one of you cutting your hair shorter or something?”

Smiling at the memory, Kylo nodded, “Our mother tried that once when we were young, but Ben just cut my hair to match as it was much more amusing that way.”

“That sounds fun,” Bryjar chimed in as he dropped back to ride abreast of them, “Like being in two places at once.”

“We did find if one of us moved around a lot during court functions, the other could get away without attending,” Kylo admitted, “And occasionally we swapped duties, until our mother realised what we were doing and ordered us to wear different clothes,” he smiled, “Though every now and then we still swap.”

“While that does sound enjoyable,” Bryjar mused, “It doesn’t come close to what Rey, I mean Aureya, did with the honey badger.”

“Bryjar!” Rey hissed urgently, “The Prince does not want to hear about that!” She could do nothing but glare at him though, as Kylo was between she and her brother.

Kylo turned to look at Bryjar, “I absolutely do.”

Bryjar’s delighted laugh cut off as Rey leaned over in her saddle, “If they find out you told him, they will _kill_ you.”

Perhaps it was meant to be ambiguous, but after what Ben had told him, Kylo guessed she was referring to her sisters.

“Ah,” Bryjar visibly deflated.

“I can promise I would tell no one else,” Kylo told them quickly, keen to learn anything about Rey.

The boy glanced at his sister, “It isn’t like it’s a huge secret, they could hear it from almost anyone.”

Rey glanced behind them once more, her body now tense, “Couladin is one of the guards,” she muttered. 

A sigh came from Bryjar and he shook his head at Kylo, “Sorry your highness, we can’t risk it.” 

It made Kylo even less disposed to attempt to find a redeeming feature of any of their sisters, and he resolved to find out more on his own. He tried to think of something to say to break the tension that had come over Rey and her brother, but Ben was always better at that sort of thing, in the end, he just went with honesty.

“I could really do with a beer.”

There came a small snort of amusement from Rey, which was quickly stifled.

“That’s a commoners drink,” Bryjar said with surprise, “We never get to drink it.”

Kylo caught Rey shifting uneasily in her saddle and smiled behind his veil, “My brother and I arrived early and spent the night in the city, so we got to try it.”

This greatly interested Bryjar and the atmosphere became easy, once Rey realised he wasn’t going to let any details of their first meeting slip out.

**~~ ♥ ~~**

There was something wholly uncomfortable about how easy it was to relax in the outlander’s company. Well, the princes anyway, their uncle was a little odd and still of the idea that Rey was a shy, retiring sort of flower despite her attempt at losing the party in the sands, or perhaps that merely cemented his opinion?

For the moment, she was able to tell which prince was which, but she wasn’t sure how long that would last.

It was strange, to find that she liked them. In the past, when suitors presented themselves to her father, when she didn’t push for their attention, they didn’t notice her. Prince Benjamin and Prince Kyloren, not only noticed her, they were interested in talking to her. Of course, she didn’t really care, but she was enjoying having new people to talk to, it made her small world just a tiny bit larger.

It was a disappointment to return to the city; even though her stomach was growling, she would have preferred to stay out, where she didn’t have to wear dresses or interact with her sisters… she cocked her head, as an idea came to her, what if, when Queen Leia and her party left Niima, she stowed away somehow? She hadn’t seen them arrive, so didn’t know if they had their baggage on horses or wagons, but still, in the upheaval of leaving and the likely tantrums her sisters would throw afterwards, maybe she wouldn’t be missed? She chewed her lip behind her veil, Finn and Poe could leave afterwards, maybe bringing Honey with them and they could rendezvous later… she decided to run the idea past them after lunch.

Unlike the journey out, she was the last to ride into Niima and Nakaar fell back to ride beside her.

“Enough freedom for today, little bird.”

Rey rolled her eyes, “It is never enough, Kar.”

He sighed as he pulled his veil away from his face, turning his dark eyes on her, “I’m leaving to do a tour of the southern border once the outlanders have left, shall I ask father if you and Jar can accompany me?”

Ripping her own veil aside, her possible escape plan forgotten for the moment, Rey gasped, “Really?”

Nakaar smiled, “So long as you behave, yes, I will ask. That doesn’t mean he will agree, but I will be as persuasive as I can.”

“Thank you, I promise I will be good,” Rey said earnestly, excitement bubbling inside her already.

“You may have to choose, though, I haven’t yet spoken to him regarding you and the princes, if I don’t and you are able to grin and bear it, he may be more inclined to let you come with me.”

That was a tough choice, if she continued interacting with the princes, the harpies would likely make her life hell, but if she didn’t, she would have to be around for their hissy fits and rages once the princes left Niima… “I’d rather go south with you,” she said finally, “But, if father says no, I am _not_ staying here on my own.”

With a small snort, Nakaar smirked, “I would be surprised if you said anything else. I suppose one of these days you may even succeed, but I doubt it will be then, father will be keeping an eye on you - he knows you too well.”

Rey hid a small smile, her father did know her well, as did Nakaar, but neither knew of her nocturnal wanderings - if she could get out of the palace, she could get out of Niima, even if it meant leaving Honey behind... And she would come back, of course she would, Honey would still be here, as would everyone else, (apart from her sisters who would hopefully all be married by that time, somewhere far, far away).

**~~ ♥ ~~**

Steam rooms were not very practical for a quick clean, all Ben wanted to do was rid himself of the sweat that coated his body, somehow with added sand, before lunch, but it took he and Kylo much longer than a simple wash or using a bathing pool.

Once more, his mother interrupted them, she was already in their sitting room when they left the steam room.

Kylo let out an undignified yelp when he saw her, pulling his towel more tightly around his hips while he glared at her.

“Well?” she asked impatiently, after casting an amused look at her youngest son, “Luke tells me you both spent time talking with Princes Aureya.”

Ben clenched his jaw and made a beeline for his room so he could at least be dressed before she grilled them. _Bloody Luke._

After swiftly pulling on the black trousers and white shirt Valin had laid out for him, he reluctantly finished with the blue tunic stiff with silver embroidery. He hated formal tunics, they were always tight and uncomfortable - at home he rarely wore one unless absolutely necessary. 

When he went back out to the sitting room, he found servants placing food on the low table.

“You missed lunch,” Leia told him disapprovingly, “Though, so did your whole party.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, Ben settled onto one of the low couches and attempted to get comfortable, pleased he would be saved dealing with Rey’s sisters till the evening meal.

Leia waved the servants away once the food was set out and once they had left, she gave an exasperated huff before raising her voice, “If you want to eat, Kylo, I suggest you hurry up!”

Kylo appeared in his doorway, still glaring, barefoot and only wearing his trousers and shirt. He perked up when he noticed the food though and quickly joined them.

“If you hoped I had forgotten my earlier question, you will be disappointed.”

Ben glanced at Kylo, who shook his head slightly before taking a mouthful of bread and cheese.

“Yes, we spoke to Princess Aureya, as well as Prince Nakaar and Prince Bryjar,” he told her as evenly as possible, “And we would both like to look into buying some fathiers, though that would have to be after we had a stables for their size built back home.”

Leia arched an elegantly shaped eyebrow, “Indeed? Luke seemed rather delighted with the animals, too, he has taken your father down to see them.”

For a moment, Ben thought that they had diverted her, but he really should have known better.

“And did you enjoy talking to the princess? Luke said you didn’t look like you were trying to avoid her company, in fact, he thought you both rather enjoyed speaking with her.”

“Bloody Luke,” Kylo muttered before taking another bite of food and chewing angrily.

It seemed futile at this point to carry on denying it, and despite some vestige of adolescent mutiny, Ben decided life would probably be easier if they just admitted it, for the next hour anyway. Another glance at Kylo, who rolled his eyes and shrugged. 

“Yes, we both like her,” he acknowledged.

Despite having appeared very certain, Leia still looked surprised by the admission, “Both of you?” she blinked and looked at them carefully, “This is the first time either of you have shown any interest at all, but of course, you both have to like the same girl.” She frowned, “You must both remember, that you are not just looking for a wife, you are looking for a queen, a strong woman who can lead, who is intelligent and compassionate… Princess Aureya is very young, almost ten years your junior-”

Kylo cut her off, “That’s the same gap as you and father.” 

“That is true,” she admitted grudgingly, “But I was twenty one when we met. If you like Princess Aureya, surely one of her older sisters is of a similar disposition? I know they do not look alike but-”

Once again, Kylo interrupted her, “If you think that, then you haven’t really spent any time with her or them. They couldn’t be less alike if they tried.”

“There is nothing on earth that could induce me to consider one of the other princesses here, I’d rather give up the crown and go and live with the pigs,” Ben added for good measure.

“I see.” 

Leia’s clipped tone and flat expression were not a good sign, but by this time, Ben really didn’t care.

“Well, I will leave you both to eat and relax.”

Leia stood and swept out, followed by her personal guards, leaving the twins with Valin and Berch.

Ben looked at Kylo who grimaced, “That could have gone better.”

With a shrug, Ben answered, “And it could have gone worse.”

Kylo nodded, then looked at Berch, “I need you to find some information for me, I would like to know what happened with Princess Aureya and the honey badger.”

“The what?” Ben asked, feeling rather confused.

“It needs to be done subtly, please,” Kylo instructed Berch, who nodded before disappearing and Kylo turned back to him. “It was a remark made by Bryjar, some sort of prank Rey pulled, I think on her sisters, but neither of them would tell me the story and I’m curious.”

To his surprise, something almost like jealousy curled through him at the knowledge that Kylo knew something about Rey that he did not. But that was stupid.

“Let’s compare notes, shall we?”

**~~ ♥ ~~**

Rey joined her brothers for lunch in Nakaar’s sitting room. They were already eating when she arrived, even though she had left her hair wet.

“I still can’t believe they stayed on their mounts,” Bryjar was saying as she entered, “They’re just so big and awkward looking!”

Rey huffed a resigned sigh, everything at the moment seemed to centre on their visitors. Plopping down next to her younger brother, she grabbed a stuffed vine leaf off his plate and shoved it in her mouth before he could stop her.

“Hey! Get your own!”

She just grinned at his indignance, “They taste better when stolen.”

Bryjar shot her a dirty look and inched away from her, plate held protectively in his hands.

“What are you wearing?” Nakaar asked, trying to sound stern but she could see his lips twitching.

Grabbing a plate of her own, she went about filling it with food, “I figured I didn’t have to wear a dress till this evening, none but you are going to see me, what does it matter?”

“She has a point,” Bryjar said, forgetting her theft as he gestured to his relaxed attire of just shirt and trousers.

Nakaar rolled his eyes, “Assumption is a dangerous thing, little bird, if father catches you wandering around dressed like a boy, he will not be happy.”

Rey sighed, “When is he ever happy with me?”

“You misinterpret his disapproval, he just wants you to shine like we all know you could.”

Bryjar’s snort of laughter was echoed with Rey’s disgusted one.

“He has plenty of ‘shining’ daughters already, I don’t know why I need to be the same as them!”

“Yes, _please,_ don’t ever be the same as them, Rey,” Bryjar said with feeling, “They’re awful and boring and if you did you’d probably get married and move away and I’d be stuck with Kar and be lectured into an early grave.”

Rey smirked and bumped his shoulder as Nakaar sighed in a long suffering sort of way.

“Promise, Jar. No shining for me, unless it’s going down in history for releasing a rathtar on the harpies.”

Bryjar grinned, “What’s a rathtar?”

“Large, carnivorous cephalopods-” Nakaar began but Rey interrupted him.

“Just go with rabid tentacle monsters of death.”

Nakaar raised his eyebrow, “Where did you even hear about them?”

A blush heated Rey’s skin and she looked away from them, suddenly awkward, “Oh, the outlanders mentioned them, I thought they sounded like the perfect follow up to the honey badger.”

“I’ll say,” Bryjar laughed, eyes sparkling, “We should get one! I’ll help this time!”

Their laughter was interrupted by Nakaar’s servant clearing his throat.

“What is it?” Nakaar asked, clearly irritated.

“I’m sorry, your highness, but the king has asked for Princess Aureya,” the unfortunate man told him. 

“Uh oh,” Bryjar whistled as Rey’s face fell.

“What did he say? Do I have time to change?” Rey asked as she hurriedly stood, brushing crumbs off her legs and chest.

If it were possible, the man looked even more uncomfortable, “The king wished for you to come at once, he is with the Queen.”

“ _Kriff_!” Rey turned to look at Nakaar as if he could save her, but he just shook his head.

“You will just have to go, little bird, and hope you shine enough that he forgives you, and if you go now, at least you won’t be late for once.”

With a glare to cover how nervous she was, Rey stuck out her tongue at him before hastily taking her leave. 


	5. Chapter 5

They passed the afternoon in their rooms, enjoying the quiet, steeling themselves for the evening meal and the inevitable gaggle of princesses crowding them in from all sides.

Kylo supposed some men would love to be in their position, and if he could, he would give it all to them… or at least he would have, his opinion had begun to change in that regard since they had arrived in Niima.

The problem was, or at least, one of the problems was Ben, that they both liked the same woman. Then of course, there was the fact that said woman didn’t appear to feel any particular interest in either of them, indeed, she didn’t even seem to have any desire to marry at all, let alone become a queen.

After comparing notes with Ben, they had agreed that at least she was warming to them a little, engaging in conversation, relaxing in their company somewhat, but it wasn’t enough. While it would be perfectly acceptable to request Rey’s hand from her father and it was very likely he would grant such a request, Kylo was certain going that route would leave Rey hating them. Starting off a relationship, a  _ marriage _ , in such an underhand way, was wholly unappealing… but they had less than five days to somehow win her over, and to make things more difficult neither brother was willing to give way to the other. They hadn’t discussed it outright, but enough dancing round the issue made it crystal clear that they were both going to try their hardest to get to know her better, which if that went well, would lead to attempting to woo her.

It was a bloody mess, but after their distinct lack of success in finding someone they liked this much before, they couldn’t just give up.

Ben was reading but Kylo couldn’t settle with a book, instead he sat staring out out the open balcony doors, trying to come up with ways to get to know Rey better. He wasn’t having much luck, and the interruption of Berch returning helped him feel a little less lost.

The best way to describe Berch was nondescript, he was average height and build, with mousy brown hair and brown eyes; you could look straight at him and yet hardly notice him. So he was perfect for his role as bodyguard, passing unnoticed until needed and of course this also made him excellent at gathering intelligence. 

At the sound of a throat being cleared, Kylo dragged his eyes away from the empty sky to find Berch standing a few feet away.

“Back so soon?” Kylo asked, though he shouldn’t really be surprised by now.

Ben put down his book and looked expectantly at Berch, who gave them a brief deferential nod before beginning.

“The story about Princess Aureya was not hard to hear,” Berch told them, voice as unremarkable as the rest of him. “Though, for context, I gathered some more information about her.”

Kylo became aware that he, like Ben, was leaning forward in his seat and with a conscious effort, he sat back, waving at Berch to continue.

“Princess Aureya’s mother was a scavenger, which is a term used for the peasants who scavenge the sands for a living. They are looked down on by almost everybody in Jakku and the fact that King Iridian took one to wife, was a scandal. Despite this, Queen Neith was beloved by the commons, but she died shortly after Princess Aureya was born. The other daughters born to King Iridian did not like their stepmother, and liked her daughter even less. Prince Nakaar, who was eight when Princess Aureya was born, was of a different opinion and doted on her, leaving their sisters feeling jealous which increased their hatred of their youngest sister. As they all grew older, the sisters animosity grew, there seem to be five main reasons why this is; the first is that due to the whispers still circulated in the upper classes about how low born Princess Aureya’s mother was, they think she brings the royal family shame. The second, is because it is obvious that King Iridian has a soft spot for his youngest daughter; third, Princess Aureya’s easy friendship with her brothers seems to offend, fourth, they object to her lack of decorum and disinterest in getting married, and finally, they seem to resent how much the palace staff love her.” 

Here Berch paused, in case they had any questions, but after a brief shake of their heads, he carried on.

“As they grew older, Princess Aureya’s sisters bullying increased, while it seems their spite and cruelty was subtle or hard to prove, Princess Aureya’s…” he paused as if searching for the right word, and Kylo could almost have sworn that there was a light of amusement in Berches normally impassive eyes, “...Methods of retaliation were less that inconspicuous. Most notably, the incident with the honey badger.”

Once again Kylo realised he was leaning forward, but he decided he didn’t care.

“Honey badgers are thick skinned, fearless animals with a ferocious temper,” Berch was  _ definitely _ smiling, “A few years ago, after Princess Therava, who is most often the ring leader in abusing her youngest siblings, got into Princess Aureya’s room and stole a necklace. The necklace had been King Iridian’s first gift to Queen Neith and was the only piece of jewellery Princess Aureya would wear. Although a search was made, the necklace was never recovered and there was no proof it had been any of Princess Aureya’s sisters. Despite this, there is very little doubt as to what happened, and a few short weeks after the incident, Princess Aureya made her move. No one knows how she procured it, but what is known is that after feeding a large male honey badger on wine soaked dates, she planted it in the shared dressing room of her sisters, hidden behind their garments. When her sisters retired for the night, Princess Aureya locked them in their wing and sat back to listen. The screams,” Berch told them with something akin to a twinkle in his eyes, “Were heard all across the palace. The door to the Princesses suit of rooms had to be broken down because Princess Aureya had thrown the key and it’s spare, out of the window. It took fifteen guards to subdue the creature, but before they could kill it, the Princess facilitated an escape route for it through a window. The injuries were comparatively minor when compared to the destruction wrecked upon their quarters. After the incident, Princess Aureya was punished but was also given her own rooms on the other side of the palace, away from her sisters and nearer to her brothers.”

Kylo sat back in his seat when it was clear that Berch was done. He could feel a grin stretching his lips, but underlying his great amusement over the stunt pulled by Rey, was the familiar burn of anger. If he had disliked Rey’s sisters before, now, he _ loathed _ them and his opinion of King Iridian had taken a hit, too.

Still, perhaps these circumstances would work in their favour - if Rey’s life was so impacted by her sisters dislike of her, then surely she would view marriage as an opportunity to leave this life behind? It certainly shed some light on her previous bids for freedom… yet if that were the case, why wasn’t she more inclined to talk to he and Ben? Why was she not doing her level best to win them over? But then of course, he got the distinct impression she was not the sort of woman who would take marriage lightly.

“Has Princess Aureya had any suitors in the past?” Ben asked, bringing Kylo back from his thoughts.

Berch’s face was back to impassive, “None of note, much like with you, she stays in the background and let’s her sisters have the attention.”

Kylo ran his hands through his hair and sat back again, “And what of her life? Her likes and dislikes?” he attempted to sound only moderately interested, but from the way Ben’s eyes flashed to his, he knew he was fooling nobody.

“Other than riding her fathier, she practices a martial art named Echani, spends time with her brothers or her two bodyguards, plays stones, reads and helps tend to the gardens. She and Prince Bryjar still attend lessons three times a week. The wet nurse she had after her mother died stayed on as her maid and is still with her today, by all accounts they have a close relationship. Everyone I spoke to today had a fondness for her.”

“Did you come across a man named Couladin? A guard?”

“Not himself, but I heard of him, - there appear to be some guards and staff, a very few, that are eyes and ears for Princess Therava and the other Princesses.”

“I can understand her interest in the rathtars now,” Ben said with a frown.

Kylo nodded distractedly, he was restless, limbs agitated and muscles trembling with adrenalin. This happened when he was angry and had no way to let it out. Pacing up and down the balcony like a caged animal held little appeal and he doubted it would make much difference anyway. 

He stood abruptly, “Thank you Berch,” he nodded as the man stepped away, then looked at his brother, “If I remember correctly, they have training rooms and courtyards here. Want to spar?”

~~ ♥ ~~

The runner was still outside and he blanched when he saw Rey, which was not a good sign. The food she had eaten churned uncomfortably in her stomach and she took a steadying breath in.

“Where is he?” she asked as she followed him closely behind, trotting to keep up.

“They are in the aviary, your highness.”

Rey winced. When she was younger, the aviary had been one of her favourite places. It was a large, airy room, with big windows and was full of plants in pots, planters and hanging baskets. It was a riot of colours and smells, and occupied by tiny humming birds and songbirds, whose music filled the room accompanied by the gentle sound of a tiny waterfall. For such a place to exist in so unexpected a location always impressed their guests, and Rey had spent hours in there as a child… until she realised that the birds would never be free, that they were stuck there, forever, never knowing what it was like to fly as far as they wished, to feel the sun on their wings without the barrier of glass and stone, to feel the wind under their wings as it lifted them higher and farther until they kissed heaven and tasted liberty... After that, the aviary lost some of its appeal and the only time she went in there now, was when she was ordered to, or at night when the birds were asleep and the only noise was the soft lapping of water and fluttering of moths.

When they reached the doors, Rey paused to at least straighten her tunic and finger comb her hair as best as she could, before nodding to the guards to open up for her.

At the second door, (there were two with a space between actinging as a buffer to prevent any of the birds escaping) she took a breath, then stepped through.

Her father and the Queen were idly chatting while sipping tea seated on intricately carved wooden seats, (another luxury in a desert land). 

At the sound of the door closing behind her, they looked over and she saw her father frown and sigh.

_ Well, she was here now, may as well carry on. _

“Queen Leia, I must apologise for my daughters lack of propriety, though for once in her life, she isn’t late.” 

His tone was mild, but Rey knew she would hear about this at some other time, when it was just family. She probably wouldn’t be allowed out to ride for a month.

“I’m sorry, father, your majesty” she dropped an awkward attempt at a curtsey, “I didn’t think I would be out of my rooms until dinner.”

There was a small noise from her father that meant he didn’t believe her, but for now, he left it, gesturing for her to take a seat with them while a servant poured tea for her. 

“Princess Aureya,” Leia smiled at her and Rey felt a little of the tension in her shoulders relax at the unoffended expression on the queen’s face, “My sons have told me about their ride this morning and their hope to have fathiers of their own. My brother too, seems quite enamoured of them and I was hoping you would show me around the stables this afternoon, if you are not busy?”

Obviously the question was only a courtesy, of course Rey would show the Queen around, there was no scenario that could possibly end in her declining, but she appreciated the gesture all the same.

“I would be glad to, your majesty.”

Rey barely had time to take a sip of her tea when her father stood, offering a hand to the queen to help her rise and Rey stood, too.

“I’m afraid I must leave you both for now, but,” he leveled a stern look at his daughter, “Aureya will take good care of you.”

After seeing them out of the aviary, her father turned in the opposite direction from the stables and started on his way.

“Um, if you’ll follow me, your majesty,” Rey said awkwardly gesturing down the hall, “The stables are this way.”

From what Rey remembered of her etiquette lessons, you were meant to walk behind any royal member who outranked you, but then how was she meant to show the queen where to go? Her confusion must have shown on her face because Leia smiled at her again and gently took her arm in her own and started walking.

“Do please call me Leia,” the queen said kindly, “Your father refuses to, but while he isn’t around, I much prefer it.”

With an uneasy nod, Rey answered, “Of course, your, um, Leia,” she felt a little light-headed, “Please call me Aureya.”

_ Why hadn’t her father asked for one of her sisters? _ Granted, none of them liked riding or fathiers, but the chance to spend time with the queen they were hoping would be their mother in law would have made them swear up and down they loved the animals.  _ So why her? _

“Such a beautiful name, Aureya,” the queen smiled again, “How often do you ride out? And do you think the animals would be able to be happy in a cooler climate?”

Just like that, Rey relaxed. Such a question about the fathiers welfare made her take an instant liking to the queen.

“I go out whenever I am allowed, your- ah, Leia. It is difficult for fathiers to get enough exercise within the city and it does them good to run flat out and stretch their legs. I think, temperature wise, they would cope with a cooler climate. Night in the desert can get very cold and they are well adjusted to keep themselves warm or cool as the weather demands. What I am less certain of, is how they would deal with damp and rain. They seldom come across that sort of thing here - the stablemaster may know, or the breeders. I’m afraid I don’t know if fathiers have ever been bred outside of the desert and tundra.”

“That makes sense, during our journey here I was surprised by how chilled I became during the night,” Leia laughed, “Of course, none of the men would admit it, particularly my boys, they are so very stubborn.”

Somehow, although she didn’t really know the princes , Rey found she could easily believe that they were stubborn, but she wasn’t sure how to respond to the queen's statement, so she just nodded.

“Have you any thoughts about marriage?” Rey stumbled a little but righted herself, hoping the queen hadn’t marked it, “Your sisters certainly seem keen to fly the nest and make their own.”

For a moment, Rey couldn’t make words, she shut her mouth, opened it again, stopped herself from shrugging just in time, and shook her head, “My sisters and I are quite different in that regard,” she said as diplomatically as possible, “Um,” she chewed her lip briefly, “As I am the youngest, there is no pressing need for me to marry, and… this may sound childish, but I…” she trailed off, unused to talking with women other than Bunty, and this was something she had never said out loud before, even to herself.

The queen paused and turned to face her, Rey hadn’t particularly paid much attention before, but her face, while strong and commanding, was somehow also gentle and warm.

“Childish things are often those closest to our hearts,” she told Rey with a small, encouraging smile. 

Rey looked away as her cheeks warmed, “I hope, that if I do ever marry, it will be for love and not for status or wealth.”

The queen nodded and they started walking again, reaching the courtyard that led to the stables and the sunlight was bright upon their faces.

“Although not always possible, that is hardly a childish want, Aureya. If anything, it is commendable,” again she smiled, this time the slightest twinkle in her eyes as Rey looked at her, “In fact, I think that is why my boys have failed to find a match until now - they are of a similar disposition.”

_ Until now? _ Rey frowned as her mind wandered but was called back when the queen’s arm slipped from hers as she saw Jaskier, Bryjar’s mount, being groomed.

“I honestly assumed Luke and the boys were exaggerating the size!” Leia exclaimed and Rey remembered she was here to show her around and _ not _ to daydream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *waves* hello, sorry this update took so long and thank you for reading and commenting ♥  
> I'm not sure about this chapter, and the giant wad of info about Rey, but hopefully it works!


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